$100K bond set in Springfield nurse practitioner case

A Springfield nurse practitioner indicted for felony drug trafficking had a bond in the case set at $100,000, according to online court records.

Douglas Shrewsbury was indicted on multiple counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs, according to a press release by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was able to post the bond through a bail bonds business, the records show.

The board of pharmacy reportedly began its joint investigation with the Springfield Police Department in July 2017 due to allegations that Shrewsbury was operating a pain management clinic without the proper license and was issuing prescriptions illegally.

In November 2017, search warrants were executed at his office and home in Springfield, according to the release. Shrewsbury allegedly operated Springfield Primary Health Care on East High Street.

Prescription drugs and patient records were seized during the searches, the release says.

The Springfield News-Sun reached out to Shrewsbury’s attorney, Kyle Lennen. Lennen said he and a co-counsel are reviewing the case.

Shrewsbury was indicted in early July but wasn’t arraigned until late August. Lennen said that’s because he was arrested at his Florida home before he was able to come back to Ohio to face the charges.

“The arguments we made in the courtroom are that he has his own counsel, that he stays in constant contact and he has always been readily available to us,” Lennen said.

The attorney said both parties knew Shrewsbury was living in Florida, but after he was arrested the court had to wait for the extradition process before he was able to come back to Ohio.

“With the warrant being active, they weren’t willing to pull that back,” Lennen said. “While he was waiting to present himself to the court he got picked up in his own home.”